The Aesir are one of the strongest and hardiest races found in all of Altear. Known to grow to a height of nearly ten feet tall they are the divinely empowered descendants of what mortals would call the Norse gods. For this the Aesir are known to be vastly stronger than a typical mortal, able to get several wounds and keep on moving. They are some of the greatest warriors in all of Altear and for this they are feared throughout Everyn for their tenacity, strength, and overall ability to adapt to situations set before them.

The Aesir as a whole differ based upon the Hold of their origin. After years of separation, some instances of inbreeding, and isolation, the holds of Norland have developed distinctive physical appearances from each other. These “Hold Traits” included hair color, eye color, bone structure, skin color and much more. Some Holds have stronger connections to the wyrd (fate) than others, and some are more bloodthirsty.

Male Aesir are often broad shoulder, largely muscles (build depending upon Hold) and are prone to facial hair if not shaved regularly. Bodily a male Aesir is capable of lifting at least two hundred pounds and are quite able to shake off an arrow or two. Their metabolism is not quick as a Sidhe’s or a Vila, but they heal decent pace. Because of their large musculature male Aesir must devour decent levels of protein on a daily basis or deal with possible rapid muscle loss.

Female Aesir are slightly less muscle than their counterparts and have a much higher pain threshold. The harsh climate of the north has gifted Aesir women with increased fertility and less troubling problems with miscarriage. They also possess a high resistance to cold which allows them to survive the harsh winters of the north. Aesir women fight alongside their men as Shield-Maidens and are quite effective in combat. Bodil their body builds vary based upon Hold and Class. Nobility tend to be slightly healthier with the Freeholders being far leaner.

Strong Blood

Unlike the races of the South, the Aesir do not practice a sense of focus on how pure someon’s blood is. They instead focus of the strength of individuals of a bloodline can bring. Instead of focusing on the lineage, the concept of Strong Blood focuses on the individual. Strong individuals of great valor, cunning, and cleverness or actions that change the fate of the person are seen as bringing strength to a bloodline. Dishonorable acts can lead to tarnishing of the bloodline.Strong blood affects a Kyn more than it affects an Ætt.

The greatest dishonor that can affect a Kyn and the blood of the family is the act of becoming an outlaw. A Kyn with many outlaws is seen as one with weak blood. The same can be said for one with many illegitimate or baseborn children. A weak bloo0dline is seen as one without political clout, or one without respect to some.

Art by ARTOFJUSTAMAN

Temperament

The Aesir as a whole are a violent species known for their explosive anger, and brooding nature. Aesir nurse slights easily and are often quick to hold a grudge. Because of this blood feud and internal fighting are often common. Aesir revel in combat and are known to even take their love making in a violent manner. This brutal nature has often played against them as they are more likely to jest, jape and then crack skulls than work together in most cases. Unlike the Sidhe the Aesir are not weighed down by their emotions and are more than capable of showing cold utterly careless demeanors when needed.

The cold climate of Norland as lent the Aesir a queer patience that at times has seen them fail to elect Kings for centuries because the right man or woman has failed to appear. However, when the patience is cast in twine with anger there is little waiting to be done.

Weaknesses

The Aesir are a strange race in that they seem to lack few if any direct weaknesses like other races such as the Sidhe or the Vila (both are weak to certain metals). The Aesir are strange in the fact that they lack innate magics and are incapable of using any form of power without proper teaching an aide. This also in turn gives them an open weakness to magical attacks which cause them twice as much damage as it would any other race. For many reasons this is why the Aesir often enter combat with magically bound races with charms, superstition and usually clad in specific armor created to defend against the vile enemy magics.

Another common weakness of the Aesir is their inability to deal well with Opium. The southern plant is consider more addictive to the warriors of the north than other races. Because of their hardy nature, it is hard for certain addictive substances to be removed from their body, making it harder for them to be rid of such addictions. In this case it is often considered highly dishonorable in Aesir society to fall to such substances, especially when it can easily cripple a fighting man.

Perhaps the weirdest weakness of the Aesir is their seemingly racially based animosity for the Norns. According to most Aesir their race is cursed by fate itself to be bound by the sorrows of the world. For it is not uncommon for horrendous disaster to fall upon them. In some cases many Aesir are seemingly blessed with random bouts of bad luck, or are seemingly tracked by strange beasts for no reason. This is the action of fate itself they say, the decision of the Wyrd to challenge all Aesir to make their destiny their own. Few achieve this and they live in song and myth forever.

Art by Rhineville

Age and Maturation

The aging of the Aesir is far more like mortals than most races. The Aesir can live upwards to a hundred years, and can live long and healthy lives. However, the harsh environment, their often ill fated ends, and internal warfare take their toll on each individual. The Holder Class often live ten years above the average lifespan because of their increased access to medicines, healers and generally better eating habits. The Leysing and Slave classes then to be short lived with ma of ny dying in their early thirties because the hard debilitating life they often lead.

Aesir sexually mature around the ages of fifteen for males and seventeen for females. This often coincides with the active age of majority for most and often also leads to quick marriage to prevent the creation of illegitimate children. From birth to mid thirties the Aesir age much like a mortal and then cease aging between the ages of thirty five to seventy. However, exterior factors such as climate, stress and war often play against this. In the Holds seeing a grey hair often marks one of great fortitude and respect.

Reproduction

Female Aesir are capable of reproducing at the age of seventeen and more often than not do not have a child till they are in their mid twenties (nobility). Lower class members such as Slave, Leysing and poorer Boendr tend to have children at a younger age because of lower life expectancy. Female Aesir are strong in the fact that not only are they blessed by the Goddesses Frig and Freya with fertility, but also endurance. Aesir pregnancies last upwards to a year and often result in long labors. Something which female Aesir are well equipped for. Wide child bearing hips and strong fortitude are usually a common trait among the northern women of Norland.

Aesir often have at least one child in their lifetime with larger families of at least two children or more being much more common. With the problem of open sexuality for young men in Aesir society Holders often have at least one bastard by the time they reach their mid forties.

Healing Factor

As a race the Aesir are strange in that their bodies alone offer a natural deference of damage. Their thick muscles take beatings much easier and their thick bones lend to a drop in broken limbs. However, this does not prevent cuts, gashes and harm in general. The Aesir regenerative abilities is generally limited to an increased resistance to infect, faster bone knitting and in general slowed blood loss. Their musculature alone requires vast amounts of protein and their metabolisms are not as fast of the southern races. So while a Sidhe or a Ashurid can bounce back from a stab wound an Aesir in general will ignore the pain, the wound itself and simply continue on their way while terribly taxing their body.

The Aesir in general have an increased pain threshold than other races, and with their women being able to sustain decent to high levels of damage and still remaining cognizant.